U.S. Must Cut Off Aid and Ties To Uganda If Draconian Anti-Gay Bill Passes

The sponsor of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, David Bahati, is practically begging the United States to cut off aid if his grotesque bill is passed.

“If there was any condition to force the Western world to stop giving us money,” David Bahati told Josh Kron of the New York Times. “I would like that.”

Newsflash to Bahati: The United States does not need Uganda and 99-percent of our citizens would not notice if every last nickel was withdrawn from the dictatorship. Indeed, in a time of economic distress at home, many people are questioning whether we should be sending our hard earned tax dollars to places like Uganda — that may not represent our interests and values.

If Uganda passes this hideous violation of human rights the US should take six actions:

1) Cut off all aid to Uganda.

2) Work to ensure LGBT Ugandans can escape their country’s tyrants and resettle to more friendly nations.

3) Offer legal immunity for LGBT Ugandans who defend themselves and their families in the face of state terror. Everyone is entitled to a vigorous self-defense and is not required to sheepishly walk into the hands of security forces that would violate international human rights standards and lock them in prison for life and throw away the key — or worse.

4) Congressional hearings about the involvement of American evangelicals in egging on Uganda’s anti-gay hysteria — that has already led to fear, violence, and death of gay activists.

5) Evidence should be compiled to eventually take to the International Criminal Court to prosecute Bahati, Martin Ssempa, and the Americans involved with this anti-gay bill.

6) A travel ban to the United States for all Ugandan officials

The most cynical part of violent tyrants like the oddly gay-obsessed Bahati is that he claims attempts by the West to stop the human rights violations are “neocolonialism.” In fact, Bahati had no problem when American Christian colonialists like The Family (aka The Fellowship), Rick Warren, and Lou Engle embraced him and made Uganda their right wing experiment. As Bahati pointed out, Uganda became their virulently anti-gay laboratory because the Americans admitted that it was “too late” to pass such heinous laws in the U.S.

Furthermore, I would still like to know why a Ugandan General was at a party at the same hotel where the Values Voter Summit was taking place last year in Washington. What unsavory plotting and planning may have been taking place? Who were the evangelicals who may have been involved with undermining US foreign policy and promoting violent homophobia overseas?

Finally, the Obama administration should not forget Bahati’s insult today against the President. He told the Times: “The good thing with the West is that we know that Obama can influence the world only up to 2016. That’s definite.”

The Obama Administration should recognize exactly what the Republican-embracing Bahati does — that as long as Obama occupies the White House, America can reduce our financial obligations abroad by cutting off Uganda like a midnight drunk at the bar.

If the hate bill is passed, the rabidly euphoric anti-gay celebrations would eventually die down. Ugandans would soon realize that the money from Uncle Sam has dried up. In short order, the public would turn on Bahati and others of his ilk who put their prejudices before the best interests of their nation.

And if I’m wrong and they still support Bahati in the face of poverty, economic and diplomatic isolation? Well, then it is rather clear that our money would be better spent elsewhere — like in more tolerant nations or fixing the aging infrastructure back home.

It is simply unacceptable that American citizens would be asked to continue subsidizing anti-LGBT violence and discrimination.

About the Author

Wayne Besen is the Founding Executive Director of Truth Wins Out and author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth” (Haworth, 2003). In 2010, Besen was awarded the “Visionary Award” at the Out Music Awards for organizing the American Prayer Hour, an event which shined a spotlight on the role American evangelicals played in the introduction of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

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3 Comments

Nick K.February 29, 2012 at 12:08 pm -

I’m in complete agreement. However, cutting off Uncle Sam’s dollars, the Queen’s Pounds, and Mother Europe’s Euro might not do much to help LGBT Ugandans. Uganda can and will turn to other countries such as India, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, etc. for financial support. These countries either don’t care about what happens internally in a country or else actively persecute their own LGBT citizens too. Not to mention that Uganda can still turn to private anti-LGBT religious organizations as well as financial institutions that also don’t give a damn.

Let’s first hope and pray that this heinous bill never passes. But if it does, then we as Americans should pressure our elected officials to stop funding Uganda and send the money to other parts of the world that need it just as badly.

Nick writes: “Uganda can and will turn to other countries such as India, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, etc. for financial support.”

Well, if the bill passes and we do nothing — LGBT Ugandans are in danger. If we cut off funding they are still in danger because of the nations listed above.

In that case, let’s save the money and build schools and improve healthcare at home. Or, give the money to a less antagonistic nations that share our values. Every dollar that we spend in Uganda is a dollar that we are depriving the citizens of other nations that can use our help.

U.S. foreign policy should not be used to fund tyrants and perpetrators of crimes against humanity. If other nations want to fund the brutality and oppression — let them. We can only control our money and we should.

No blank checks to brutal anti-gay bigots. Effective foreign policy has carrots, but also sticks. Let’s hope the carrots work. But if they don’t, we should not hesitate to disengage with Uganda.

Paul FMarch 1, 2012 at 10:50 am -

They better not find a huge supply of oil under their feet or the U.S. military will be knocking down their doors in the name of “freedom” to liberate them from an evil regime.

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